I love using the big square wood-bound sketch-book with bamboo dip-pen, but it doesn’t work for an everyday carry. So I’ve been carrying a much much smaller notebook (£1 from Muji) for daily sketches. It’s shirt-pocket sized and works really well with a fude pen and tiny watercolour kit. The paper buckles a bit with paint, but the drawings are looser as they’re so small and brief. It also allows me to sketch very discreetly, catching more of the passing human parade! Here’s a selection of recent gleanings from around town, including a hot-air balloon take-off, a baby on a bus and several sleepy commuters…

Wonderful people, Ed! And I heartily agree about the pocket-size book. I have a full-size with me at all times too, but a pocket size is just right to pull out surreptitiously on the bus or when I know I only have a short time. It’s satisfying — 10 minutes and the page is full!